Grace Paley

Fall clean-up

Here’s the thing about my small folder of poems about death. Having more than one poem about death is like  getting a bag of zucchini from your neighbor—you don’t know what to do with an overload. (I’m just realizing this very second that owning, not to mention labeling,  a small folder of poems about death is […]

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Letting go, holding back

      For My Daughter by Grace Paley I wanted to bring her a chalice or maybe a cup of love or cool water      I wanted to sit beside her as she rested after the long day     I wanted to adjure commend   admonish      saying don’t do that […]

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Now and later: best wishes from Poem Elf

My nephew got married a few weeks ago in a joyful rumpus of a wedding followed by a mellower brunch the next day. I waited till the last minute to poem-elf the couple, and then I was disappointed I couldn’t get in their locked car to hide poems.  But it worked out.  In the absence […]

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Life in the city and fear of death

Fear by Grace Paley I am afraid of nature because of nature      I am mortal – my children and my grandchildren are also mortal – I lived in the city for forty years in this way I escaped fear   Like a character in an old TV sitcom who’s got an engagement ring in his […]

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